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Guest: Doug Messier. Topics: Space news reporting, suborbital, Virgin Galactic, XCOR & lots more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See http://www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. For those listening to archives using live365.com and rating the programs, please email me as to why you assign a specific rating to the show. This will help me bring better programming to the audience.

We welcomed Doug Messier back to the show to discuss featured news articles of late on his blog, http://www.parabolicarc.com. Please note that Doug used a cell phone and we did have audio issues at various times during the show. During the first long segment of our 1 hour 38 minute program, Doug talked about the Mojave Air &Spaceport, Stratolaunch and then Doug got called to task by listeners for his recent reporting & comments regarding Virgin Galactic per his blog, his recent Space Show program and his appearance on the Hotel Mars John Batchelor segment last week. The gist of the hard questions asked Doug centered around asking him if he had a conflict of interest reporting on other companies given the XCOR book he is writing. They asked this because to them, his reporting seemed unfair to Virgin while giving XCOR a pass on many of the same issues he talked about with Virgin. We spent most of the first segment talking about these issues. Doug spoke freely and talked about how he reports on these issues and why he reports the way he does. He mentioned several Virgin stories as examples but he also made it very clear that he wants all the companies to be successful and for the industry to develop. As you will see in the last segment, this particular type of question was asked of him as the program was drawing to a close. Doug was in the hot seat for much of the first segment so you listen and you decide. Let Doug know your thoughts on his Virgin reporting by posting on TSS blog or emailing him. I then moved us to other topics & other companies at Mojave, the FAR for amateur rocketry, but the forces to be kept drawing us back to Doug, his Virgin reporting and XCOR comparisons. Doug managed to talk about recent SFF and Space Access alerts about language in the Senate NASA funding bill that these organizations and others believe to be a poison pill. Listen for details. Also, I asked about Congress planning to fund at least $200 million for a new engine replacement for the RD-180. We also talked about the Falcon 9 & AF SpaceX certification. Dr. Doug called near the end of the segment. During his call, he was sent an email question about the Moon by Tony in Seattle.

In the second segment, we talked about the NASA budget for FY 2015 in some detail. Doug talked about SLS, Orion, commercial crew funding issues and SpaceX possibly expediting some flights prior to the 2017 schedule. Doug went into detail about the Sen. Shelby amendment which many believe to be the poison pill mentioned in the first segment. I took us through several of the top stories being reported on Parabolicarc.com including changes to the Arianne launcher, the Decelerator Flight Test, the NASA Centennial Challenge for Cubesat Deep Space, plus we talked about the Google acquisition of Skybox Imaging and their global broadband plans with Worldview. Also mentioned as the show was drawing to a close was the GLXP, Doug’s visit to the Dragon V2 unveiling, & then Sally’s final email question asking Doug if he wanted Virgin Galactic to fail given how he reports on the company. Don’t miss his response to Sally, plus my related comments.

Post your comments/questions on TSS blog above. You can reach Doug through his website or me.

Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Bob Zimmerman covered a wide range of topics from commercial space to ground based telescopes. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.

We welcomed Bob Zimmerman back to the show for this two hour discussion. Bob started the first segment with an overview of commercial space progress to date in 2014 which includes Space X Falcon 9 launch, Orbital’s launch to the ISS, the recent Virgin Galactic demo test plus other events. SLS came up again and unfortunately took up time throughout the show. As you will hear me say, I am sick of the pro and anti-SLS comments on the show and really need an SLS break as I imagine most listeners do as well. Unfortunately, callers and email questioners kept bring it back to our focus and Bob was not shy on commenting on SLS as he wants it cancelled. We talked some about Virgin Galactic and XCOR, then I asked about Dream Chaser given the news it has been seeking international partners to continue the project. Bob was next asked about the Chinese policy and their lunar lander. He started comparing the Chinese program of today to the early Soviet Union program and suggested that like all space programs, they will make a significant contribution to changing the culture of the country. We talked about the new Omnibus 2014 Budget Bill before congress and the increases to NASA, planetary science, commercial crew and more. As we neared the break, Bob in Berkeley asked Bob the guest to opine on Inspiration Mars and Mars One. Doug from S. California called with multiple questions before the break, starting out asking about Bob’s comments on the negatives for taking government money and wanting to know if that applied to Space Act Agreement recipients. His last question directed to Bob and me was based on our being part of the space media and about influencing policy, culture, programs, etc. Bob’s and my response continued into the second segment.

During the second segment, Trent chatted in from Australia, then Dave called in from Chicago to asked about the J2X engine. Bob and I talked some more about making a policy impact, then I asked Bob for key issues that will emerge for the balance of the year. He talked about Russia competing with private companies, HSF and Dragon, astronomy, ground based telescope improvements, and NASA science programs. At the end, I asked about the new mission for Kepler Space Telescope to have it continuing doing useful and productive research for the rest of its life.

Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: This was a wide ranging discussion starting with climate change & ending with budget, CR, & commercial crew issues. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.

We welcomed Bob Zimmerman back to the show for this one hour 55 minute discussion starting with the announcement regarding climate change and the upcoming IPCC report which has been leaked to the press. The primary topic for this first segment was climate change, the leaked IPCC report and an analysis of it. Bob fielded listener comments and questions including Marshall’s who had hands on experience with the very first computer climate model in the early 70’s. Bob summarized all his comments saying that science needed to be skeptical and he was optimistic that skepticism was coming back to the field of climate science. We then switched to space and NASA for the balance of this program. As a transition, Bob talked about solar activity and the solar max. In response to a listener question, he commented that if Mars or anyplace in space were developed using the Antarctica model, it would doom commercial space activity. He stated over and over again that the model needed was the profit model for space and planetary development.

In the second segment, we talked about new commercial contracts for Arianne 5 recently announced, and how important these were to Arianne who needs to show a profit for the first time. I asked Bob about NASA’s Redirect Asteroid Mission given all the attention it got last week at AIAA Space 2013. Bob had much to say about this mission, most of it not supportive or positive, and then I mentioned the NASA press conference which is archived as part of the Space 2013 taped interviews and the fact that it is to be SLS dependent. This started Bob and others on SLS rants, mostly not supportive of it, and also Orion. Bob was emphatic that Orion with SLS would not be a deep space mission & at one point he cited comments by Russian that their next generation Soyuz would have bathroom facilities on board and Bob said with Orion, it was strictly diapers for the crew. We talked about Inspiration Mars and Mars One. Bob was skeptical about both happening. Listen to the reasons he cited for his perspective. Bob also talked about Bigelow Aerospace and its potential, listeners asked about Planetary Resources and the Redirect Mission, then we talked about the need to lower the launch costs to LEO. Bob brought us current with SpaceShip2 & the latest powered demo flight, then John called in to argue about SLS with Bob. This was an interesting give and take. As Bob has done on other programs, he continued saying he does not want a space program which is a government program which in his eyes is doomed to failure. He wants the private sector to prevail. As the show was ending, I asked Bob for this thoughts on the budget, CR, and future commercial crew funding .

Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. Check out Bob’s website, www.beyondtheblack.com. You can email bob through is website or using zimmerman at nasw dot org

Guest: Tom Olson. Topics: The year 2012 is reviewed from the space perspective and we look forward to space development in 2013. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. We welcomed back Tom Olson for his annual Space Show year in review analysis with a look forward to 2013 for space development. We started our discussion by remembering those in our space community that are no longer with us. We specifically mentioned three dear friends though we know that others have also left us. Our program was dedicated to Neil Armstrong, Jesco von Puttkamer, and Reda Anderson. We certainly miss our friends but space development marches on like everything else in life. A few of the early issues Tom brought up in the 2012 annual overview of space included the Falcon 9 launches and Dragon missions. He also talked about ISDC and birthing of Dragon during the keynote by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. While on the subject of SpaceX and its mission to the ISS, Paul sent in a question asking if SpaceX dropping out of the Stratolauncher project indicated that perhaps they had “bitten off more than they could chew.” Tom and I have no inside information about SpaceX and Stratolaunch but we both thought that Paul’s comment was reasonable as SpaceX is certainly busy enough with game changing projects & technology. Cubesats were discussed given their rise in popularity and importance in 2012. It seems as if their potential is more than on the rise! Cubesat growth also cuts across many diverse space industry segments and niche markets. Bev asked about the future of 3-D printing and its potential impact on future human spaceflight (HSF). 3-D printing is certainly experiencing space industry growth & there will soon be a small 3-D printer on the ISS. Heavy lift came up and much was said about the Falcon Heavy and SLS, both looking back over 2012 & forward to 2013.

In our second segment, I asked if fuel depots would evolve from the Power Point & rhetoric stage to something more tangible in 2013. We talked about depots as many of the projects announced in 2012 use depot technology to enable their plan. Tom talked about warp drive becoming more possible due to the 2012 work of Dr. Sonny White. Dr. White will be a guest on The Space Show Friday, January 4, 2013. Tom next brought up NASA budget issues & possible cuts. He talked about science mission cuts, the JWST, and on the HSF side, SLS eating up much of the budget with commercial crew still needing funding. I asked Tom how he thought space advocacy made out during 2012. Mixed was a one word summary of this discussion. Next, we talked about space settlement being made part of the U.S. space policy in 2013. Tom went over the pros & cons surrounding this effort. Doug called in about space settlement & I referred him to earlier programs with Steve Wolfe who authored the Space Settlement Act of 1988 which is part of public law. Tom said space settlement was SLS dependent & that makes the potential policy controversial to many space enthusiasts since many oppose SLS. Tom said 2012 was a good year for new commercial space grandiose missions such as Golden Spike, Planetary Resources, Mars One, a lunar base, Shackleton Energy, even EML2 missions. He kept asking the questions regarding objectives, who pays, the reasons for the missions, and more. He said most of these missions rely on some form of large launcher, either the Falcon Heavy SLS. Tom talked about ITAR reform that has been signed by both houses of Congress & is applicable to the U.S. satellite industry. Human rating of the Atlas came up for a 2012 progress report, then Dave in San Antonio inquired about cyber warfare & the space industry in 2012 & the future. 2012 marked the year the space shuttles went on display in museums & Tom talked about the Russian space program investments for modernization over the coming decade. He also talked about other national space programs. Near the end of our program, we brought up the Spaceport America liability issue & the risks facing the New Mexico spaceport. Tom updated us for 2013 on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition & his work with the Exodus Group for space business consulting.

Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog. You can email Tom through drspace@thespaceshow.com.

Guest: Robert (Bob) Zimmerman. Topics: Apollo 8, launch industry, HSF, SLS, Mars missions, NASA budget, & more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. We welcomed Bob Zimmerman back to the program to summarize space for 2012, to look forward to space activities in 2013, and as you will hear, to talk about some specific issues such as SLS and the need for heavy lift. Bob started the discussion talking about Apollo 8 as we approach Christmas 2012. He told us his famous book, “Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8: The First Manned Mission to Another World” has been released in ebook format. If you buy it on Amazon using the URL provided, Amazon will make a donation to The Space Show/OGL: www.amazon.com/Genesis-Apollo-Mission-Another-ebook/dp/B00A1EZJ6U/ref=onegiantlea20. Bob outlined two tracks for discussion, the launch industry and manned spaceflight exploration. For the launch industry, he talked about the influence of SpaceX in lowering launch costs & what it means for other launchers in competing in pricing & market share. He also talked about negotiation issues over the continued use of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. We discussed secondary payloads, Stratolaunch, & more. The second track involving manned space exploration, Bob talked about it from the government perspective & that of the private sector. He also brought up the recent news regarding the new Golden Spike venture on which he had much to say. Our first caller was from Terry asking about the NASA Mars program, James Webb & SLS. Bob had much to say about the JWST as well as SLS, NASA astrophysics, & SLS costs. Terry wanted to know when Bob thought SLS would be cancelled. This discussion prompted more than a passionate exchange by Bob and me regarding heavy lift, rocket mission analysis, & more. We then paused for our overdue break.

Leading off the second segment, we took a call from Doug in S. California but had audio issues on his phone line. We then talked about the SpaceX mission delay to March 2013. Tim called to talk about launch rate regardless of the size of the vehicle. He also talked about Golden Spike & a potential space tug. He asked Bob about Skylon. We switched topics to get updates from Bob regarding the suborbital companies. Bob talked about Virgin Galactic & powered flight tests. He also had some things to say about Dream Chaser and XCOR. I asked Bob about using drones on Mars based on comments I’ve received from listeners. Near the end, I brought up a special film showing & lecture on the 1956 classic “Forbidden Planet” that I saw this past Saturday. We talked about the significance of this movie & Bob brought in the concept of human spirit, vision, & the desire for interplanetary travel even before the days of NASA or Sputnik. I talked about the two award winning speakers from Lucas Film regarding the movie & then the surprise visit after the film by Robby the Robot, the original Robby from the film. To end our program, Bob gave us an outline of what to look for in the first quarter of 2013 for space events.

Guest: Stewart Money. Topics: We discussed EELV issues, the Air Force desire for a bulk buy of EELV services, Space X and more. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We welcomed Stewart Money to the program to discuss his recent Space Review articles. The primary article he wrote which was the subject for today can be found at www.thespacereview.com/article/1990/. Stewart has Part 2 to this article coming up on The Space Review so be sure to look for it and read it when it is available. During our first segment, Stewart talked about ULA and the proposed bulk buy of ULA rockets for the Air Force and the rising prices for EELV launches. This block buy has been raised into question by many including the GAO study with the thought that it should be expanded to allow for additional purchases from competing companies such as Space X or Orbital. Google ULA Air Force bulk buy” for a list of news articles about this story. Stewart received many questions about this because Falcon 9 is not yet operational and Falcon Heavy has not been built. Stewart talked about this in the context of Air Force requirements for availability, reliability, and the launch cost. Our guest felt that since there was a gap of several years in the Air Force program, there should be time for Falcon 9 to prove itself without much of a downside to the Air Force or ULA if they needed to add in more EELV purchases due to any Space X problems that may arise. Part of our discussion centered on risk but as you will hear, Stewart was mostly focused on launch cost and believes that Space X will be a driving force to lower the cost of access to space. Near the end of this segment, the stored Triana Satellite came up (It is now named the Deep Space Climate Observatory or DISCOVR) and how the Air Force might launch it on the Falcon 9. During this segment, Stewart also referred to the Aerospace Corporation 3/7 Reliability Rule which says that if a failure occurs during the first three launches, the problem is probably a design issue. If failure occurs after the third successful launch but before the seventh, a production process issue is probable. Once a launch vehicle configuration launches successfully three times, its design has demonstrated maturity. If successfully launched seven times, the design & production process maturity are likely demonstrated. Check out this document for more detailed information on the 3/7 Reliability Rule: “Space Acquisitions: Uncertainties in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program Pose Management and Oversight Challenges” by the GAO at www.gao.gov/new.items/d081039.pdf.

In the second segment, we talked about the recent congressional testimony on the FY 13 budget with Congress and Administrator Bolden plus the testimony of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Stewart boiled the problems down to the cost of space access and remained with the theme of solving that problem for the balance of our discussion. We then talked more about testing, high priority payloads and normal payloads, how many flights would be needed for the Falcon 9 to fly a high priority payload and more. We also talked about the difference in theory with a yet to be proven, operational launch vehicle being considered real as compared to an actual operating and flying vehicle as many confuse the two, counting the first one as real with real pricing when it is not even operational.

Please post your comments/questions on The Space Show blog URL above. If you would like to email Mr. Money, you can use the address at the end of his Space Review articles.